Welcome to
RISE WEEK 2012 Ready to Ditch the 9-5 Grind? Start an Online Business! Hosted by
Volusion速
Is the 9-5 Grind Not for You? Start Your Own Online Business! Presented by Megan Harron
Megan Harron Sales Engineer
Pleased to meet you. Megan Harron Sales Engineer, Volusion • Ecommerce Software Expert • Helped over 600 entrepreneurs set up their online stores • Favorite Ecommerce Tool: Auto Responder emails
volusion.com
• Ecommerce Leader with 35,000+ customers and 250+ employees • Founded in 1999 • Has 24/7 Austin, Texas based tech support volusion.com
What is Ecommerce? • Selling products or services through an online store.
volusion.com
Why is Ecommerce Important?
$279B
US Ecommerce projected to be a $279 Billion industry by 2015 (Forrester)
61%
61% of shoppers begin their research for purchases online (Website Magazine)
53%
By 2014, 53% of total retail sales (online and offline) will be affected by the Web (Forrester)
84%
84% of consumers said they were more likely to check online for reviews prior to making a purchase compared to twelve months ago (Retail Bulletin)
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Why Ecommerce? • Costs a lot less than a brick and mortar business • Software makes it easy for anyone to build a site • Integrations to credit card processors • Integrations to shipping carriers • Less time building, more time marketing and selling volusion.com
Today’s Agenda • • • • • • • • • • •
Products – What will you sell? Domain Name – What’s in a name? Ecommerce Software – How do you choose? Credit Card Processer – How will you get paid? SSL – How secure is your site? Legal – Is that allowed? Accounting – How much do I owe the IRS? Design – What’s the user experience? Marketing – Who will see it? Budget – How much should I spend? Plan – What’s the plan, Stan?
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What will you sell? • Sell something you are interested in. • Find a supplier that will store and ship items for you. • Most Ecommerce software can help you set up Auto Drop Shipping.
volusion.com
What’s in a name? • When selecting a domain name, keep it simple and easy to read.
Good
Bad
www.petplace.com
www.bestpetclothingandsupply.com
www.petland.com
www.dogcatbirdandhorseshop.com
volusion.com
Ecommerce Software • Hosted – Information stored on a Server – SAAS (Software As A Service) – Cloud Software
•
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Licensed – Information and Software stored on a Computer • Pay for updates • Archaic 11
How do I Choose? Two types of Hosted Ecommerce Software Open Source
Closed Source
• Server not Included
• Server Hosting Included
• Less Support
• More Support
• Can Edit the Software
• Cannot Edit the Software
• Costs More
• Costs Less
• Not as Secure
• Security Usually Included (PCI Certification)
• Often Requires a Developer
• Easier to use, no Developer Needed
volusion.com
How do I get paid? • Use Pay Pal and Google Checkout at a minimum • Merchant Service – Accept Major Credit Cards • Get a Business Bank Account volusion.com
How do I make my site secure? • SSL Certificates Protect clients’ credit card information as it travels from the online store to the Merchant Account.
Customer’s Credit Card Information travels to the merchant service
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Funds Transfer to the store owner’s bank account
Is that Legal? • Consult a lawyer to find out what you need to do to set up your business. • LLC • Copyright • Privacy Policy • Terms and Conditions
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How Much do I owe the IRS? • Consult with an Accountant or Accounting Firm to make sure your costs are covered •
Sales Tax that you will charge your shoppers
•
Taxes you pay as a self-employed business owner
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How will it look? Focus on great design - How many times have you left a site because it seems unprofessional?
VS
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How will people find out about your store? • What is the point of having a site if no one goes to it? – SEO – Search Engine Optimization – PPC – Pay Per Click Campaigns – Shopping Feeds – Facebook Advertising
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Budget Ecommerce Budget 120
Percent of Budget
100
Investment
80
Marketing 60
Design
Ecommerce
40
20
0 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10
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Month 11
Month 12
What’s Next? • Who will build the site? • Where will you get help? – Are manuals good for you? – Do you work better asking someone questions?
• How will you ship the products? • What is your return policy?
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Don’t Give Up! • • •
Take your time to do this right. Always ask for help Network • Tell everyone about your business • People are more likely to buy from someone they know • Referrals are huge volusion.com
Connect with Volusion facebook.com/volusion Linkedin.com/companies/volusion
@volusion Youtube.com/volusion Onlinebusiness.volusion.com
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Thanks for listening. I’m ready for your questions!
Megan Harron Sales Engineer